The purpose of this unit is to introduce students to matter. Matter is something very important for students to learn about because it makes up everything in the world around them, and understanding more about matter will make it easier for students to make sense of occurrences is everyday life. The different characteristics and changes that take place in matter are important as a basis in understanding how chemical changes occur, what evidence is left by those changes, and how scientists explain that change. Learning about matter will help students understand even much simpler things and how the properties of matter can be implemented to identify unknown substances. Chemical and physical changes are key concepts when looking at matter and the properties of matter. Students will use several investigations over the course of the unit to help them understand how properties help to identify substances and how to recognize different properties. Students will leave this unit with a firm grasp of how scientists explain change, how some chemical changes occur in matter, and what evidence shows change in matter. This unit will be followed by units on the composition, physical states, and phase changes of matter
Main Page